Catholic saint biography
St. Robert Southwell
- Lived:
- 1561–1595 — England
A Catholic liturgical calendar date has not yet been verified for this entry. Dates of death are not treated as feast days.
Read the sources for this biography
Biography
Robert Southwell was an English Jesuit priest and writer who served Catholics in and around London. Educated on the continent, he entered the Jesuits in Rome and was ordained in 1584. Two years later he returned to England, where Catholic ministry exposed priests and their hosts to arrest.
His work included visiting prisoners, assisting other priests and helping produce religious books through a secret press. Letters of encouragement became his work An Epistle of Comfort. After capture he endured torture and imprisonment while continuing to write poetry. He was executed in 1595 and is commemorated by the Jesuits as a saint and martyr.
From the Saint Discovery blog
Keep exploring your faith
Practical guides to prayer, the saints, and living the Catholic faith.
Why Do Catholics Pray to Saints? Intercession Explained
Why do Catholics pray to saints? Learn how intercession differs from worship, how it relates to Jesus, and a simple way to ask a saint to pray for you.
A next step with your saintRead the article Living the seasonsHow to Celebrate Your Patron Saint's Feast Day at Home
Celebrate your patron saint's feast day with prayer, a short biography, and an act of kindness. A practical plan for families, sponsors, and individuals.
A next step with your saintRead the articleFrom reading to reflection
What will you carry with you?
After reading about St. Robert Southwell, take a moment to consider:
- Which event or decision in this life stood out to you?
- What virtue would you like to understand or practice more deeply?
- What small action could you take today in response?
These are reflection prompts from Saint Discovery, not quotations from the saint.
Sources and further reading
Biography source comparison recorded on . This is an AI-assisted comparison, not independent human or ecclesiastical approval.
What the recorded review covers
Individual Catholic institutional source review; original concise factual summary. Compared canonical name, alternate names, life dates and individual institutional source against the 486 legacy records and reviewed identities; no matching person found.
A source list helps you check an account; it does not establish that every claim is certain. Follow the biography’s qualifications about historical evidence, traditions and feast calendars.
Suggest a correction to this biography
How we research these pages and handle corrections · Directory corrections log